Shotgun shell reloading machines



Aug. 22, 1967 R. J. LEE

SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADtNG MACHINES 5 Sheets-Shefc 1.

Filed May 17, 1966 I NVEN TOQ FucH-ARD J. LEE;

ATTORNEYS SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1966 '3 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEYS Aug. 22, 1967. R. J. LE I 3,336,829 H SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1966 Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 5K;

INVENTOR I ATTORNEYS QR'C ARD J.VLEIEY" I United States Patent 3,336,829 SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADIN G MACHINES, Richard J. Lee, RR. 2, Hartford, Wis. 53027 Filed May 17, 1966, Ser. No. 550,718 6 Claims. (Cl. 86-23) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE shell thereon into association with a plurality of annularly spaced loading stations wherein the load components are automatically progressively inserted into said shells in the desired sequence, each complete revolution of said rotatable platen producing a fully loaded shotshell.

This invention relates to improvements in shotgun shell reloading machines.

Many shotgun shooters, including both hunters and trap and skeet shooters, reload their used shells in order to reduce the cost of shooting, and in recent years a number of power-driven automatic or semi-automatic machines have been designed in an effort to facilitate this job, since the hand loading of shotgun shells not only requires considerable skill but is a tedious and time-consuming task. Unfortunately, however, said prior automatic machines have not proven entirely satisfactory for their intended purpose.

In addition to being too expensive for many shooters most conventional reloading machines use a progressive type loading operation wherein a plurality of shells are simultaneously loaded, each being at a dilferent stage of completion, and when a faulty shell casing or other defective component is encountered, as will frequently happen when reloading used shells, the machine will jam and all of the partially reloaded shells therein must be removed, which is time-consuming, annoying and ineflicient.

With the above considerations in mind, the principal objects of the present invention are to provide a powerdriven semi-automatic machine for reloading shotgun shells which is not only substantially less expensive than conventional machines, but which is so designed that only one used shell is reloaded at a time, thus eliminating the possibility of .the machine jamming and necessitating the removal and replacement of a number of half-completed shells.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shell reloading machine which is electrically driven, thereby greatly speeding and facilitating the job of reloading shotgun shells in comparison to hand loading operations.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a semiautomatic shell reloading machine utilizing a drive motor which is a fraction of the size and horsepower of the motors employed in prior reloading machines, thereby minimizing both the initial cost and operating expense of the machine. Still further objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and improved shotgun shell reloading machine which is durable and long-lasting in construction, which is relatively compact and easily handled or stored, which is simple in design and operation, and which is otherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, which other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent hereinafter, the invention comprises the improved shotgun shell reloading machine illustrated and described in the following specification, and also any and all modifications or variations thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention, and within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the improved shell reloading machine;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of said machine; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the machine showing the side opposite that illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the'drawings, it will be seen that the novel shotgun shell reloading machine comprising the present invention includes a base 10 which can be bolted or secured to a table or other surface, and formed thereon is an upright base frame 11 on which there is mounted an elongated vertical shaft 34 having an upper frame 62 rigid on its upper end, the function of which will be hereinafter seen. An electric motor 14 is supported by an elongated, upwardly-extending lever arm 12 which is pivotally secured to said base frame 11 as at 13 (FIG. 1), and endless belt means 18 drivingly connect the motor drive sheave 16 to an enlarged reduction sheave 17. Said rotatable reduction sheave 17 is mounted fast on a shaft 19 projected through the pivotal lever arm 12 and has a pinion 21 thereon which is designed to mesh with and drive an enlarged reduction gear 22 carried by frame 11 when the machine is in opertaion. As will be hereinafter described, to halt the operation of the present machine the lever arm 12 may be pivoted outwardly to move said pinion 21 out of driving engagement with said gear. Said gear 22 has a crank arm 23 pivotally secured thereto adjacent its periphery and the outer end of said crank arm is pivotally secured as at 43 to a platen carriage 37 which is vertically movably mounted on the aforementioned upright shaft 34.

A substantially circular platen base 39 is formed integrally on said vertically-movable carriage 37, and rotatably mounted on said platen base is a circular platen 38 which is adapted to ride up and down with said verticallymovable support While intermittently turning during the operation of the machine, as will now be described.

In the operation of the present shotgun shell reloading machine, the platen carriage 37 is in its raised position at the commencement of the operation, as shown in the drawings, and an empty shotgun shell (not shown) is manually inserted upwardly by the operator through an opening 44 in the bottom of said platen into a cylindrical housing or shell holder 44 mounted on and projecting upwardly from said platen (FIGS. 1 and 2), the upper end of said empty shell projecting a short distance above the t p of said holder. When the machine is in operation the rotation of the gear 22 through its connection with the drive motor 14 causes the crank arm 23 on said gear to pull the platen downwardly on the shaft 34, and as said descending platen approaches the base frame 11 a ram member 28 projecting upwardly from said base engages against the underside of said shotgun shell and pushes the same upwardly and firmly into said cylindrical holder 44, thus securing the same therein While simultaneously functioning to reform and resize the entire length of said used shell. This is particularly important when it is considered that the paper or plastic shotgun shells are necessarily expanded and deformed during their initial firing and must be accurately resized and shaped in order to rechamber in a gun. The stroke length of the platen and the height of said upwardly-projecting ram member 28 are correlated so that the empty shell is forcibly inserted exactly the desired distance into said 3 holder 44. After the shell has been installed in the holder 44 as described, continued rotation of the gear 22 causes the crank arm 23 thereon to begin pushing the platen upwardly on the shaft 34.

As the platen begins its upward movement a cam roller 92 on the lower end of a spring loaded pivotal leg 91 carried by the platen carriage begins riding upwardly and laterally outwardly on the inclined cam surface 98 (FIG. 3) formed in an element 97 supported on and projecting outwardly from the base frame 11, thus pushing inwardly on a movable horizontal arm 96 connected to the upper end of said leg 91. Said horizontal arm 96 engages against the underside of the rotatable platen 38 and is provided with ratchet means or the like (not shown) adapted to turn said platen while the cam roller 92 rides upwardly on the inclined surface 98. Thus as the platen carriage moves upwardly due to the action of the crank arm 23, the platen is simultaneously turned through the action of the cam unit 9196. As soon as the upward travel of the platen elevates the cam roller 92 out of the inclined cam slot 98 the platen ceases its rotation, and the machine is so designed that the shell holder 44 is then positioned directly beneath a deprimer punch 69 depending from the upper frame 62, and above an aligned primer support 33 pivotally mounted on the base frame.

Continued upward travel of said platen causes the holder 44 and used shell casing to move upwardly to a osition where the deprimer punch 69 projects downwardly therein, and as said shell continues upwardly with the platen said deprimer punch 69 engages and pushes the spent primer out through the bottom opening of said shell, the platen carriage having a registering opening through which said ejected primer may fall. Simultaneously, the tapered contour of the upper portion 68 of said deprimer punch functions to resize and shape the interior of said used shell casing, thus further ensuring that it will be suitable for reuse.

After the primer has been ejected and the platen reaches the top of its stroke and begins its downward travel the operator manually inserts a new primer in the primer holder 33, said primer seating on the upper end of a rigid stem 31 which projects upwardly into said cup-like holder 33 (FIGS. 2 and 3), and as the platen approaches the end of its downward stroke the base of the shell casing engages against the top of said primer holder. Said cup-like upper portion 33 of the primer holder is adapted to ride downwardly on the rigid stem 31, against the tension of a spring 32, and as the downwardly-traveling shell casing forces said cup downwardly therewith the primer seated on the upper end of the rigid, non-movable stem 31 is inserted into the receiving opening in the base of said descending shell casing. The result is that as the platen reaches the bottom of its downstroke and begins its upward travel the new primer has been fully installed in the used shell. After the new primer has been installed in the shell, as described, the primer holder support arm 29 is pivoted by the operator to an out-of-the-way position where it will not interfere with the turning movement of the platen during succeeding operations.

Continued upward travel of the platen carriage not only moves the same upwardly n the central shaft 34, but due to the action of the cam and turning arm assembly 91-96 hereinabove described the platen 38 is also simultaneously rotated to advance the shell to the next station, where it is positioned in alignment below a powder drop tube 72 which is supported by and below a horizontal charging bar 87 carried by the upper frame 62. Said charging bar is longitudinally slidable in a horizontal bracket 62' formed integrally in said upper supporting frame, and mounted thereabove is an upright cylindrical powder container 83 and a similar shot container 82, said containers preferably being formed of a transparent material to enable the operator to observe when the supply of powder and shot therein gets low. Said containers 82, 83 are provided with bottom openings (not shown) which are designed to register with openings in said movable charging bar when the latter are in alignment therewith.

During the upward travel of the platen the shell carried within the holder 44 moves upwardly into position beneath the powder drop tube 72 and simultaneously an upright stud 48 on said platen engages and pushes upwardly on a vertically-movable push rod 76 (FIG. 1) which is designed to move upwardly to engage a pivotal lever 84 (FIG. 2). Said lever 84 is pivotally mounted as at 86 on a bracket projecting upwardly from the aforementioned upper frame 62, and said pivotal lever includes a depending leg connected to and adapted to shift the horizontal charge bar 87 to a position wherein the powder opening therein registers with the opening in the bottom of the powder container 82 and permits powder to fall through the drop tube 72 and into the empty shell. Said charge bar includes special bushing means for measuring and delivering exactly the desired quantity of powder to said sell, thereby eliminating the tedious task of measuring the charge deposited in each shell.

The platen carriage 37 then begins its downward travel and after reaching the bottom of its stroke and commencing its upward travel the cam mechanism 91-96 indexes said platen to the next station. As said platen turns, an upright stud 46 thereon engages a leg 53 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which projects laterally from a rotatable sleeve 52 vertically-movably carried on an elongated vertical shaft 36, and the turning movement of said platen and stud causes said sleeve 52 to be simultaneously rotated on said shaft. As a result a cylindrical wad guide 56 which is attached to said sleeve by a lateral arm 54, and which carries a wad previously mounted therein by the operator, is caused to swing to a position immediately above the shell holder 44, and in alignment below a shot drop tube 73.

Said wad guide sleeve 52 is seated on a coil spring 51 (FIG. 1) supported on the platen frame, and as the shell continues traveling upwardly with the platen carriage the wad guide and sleeve 52 are forced to ride upwardly therewith. However, the wad guide shaft 36 is provided with a C-ring (not shown) which encircles said shaft at a point spaced below the bottom of said shot tube 73 and as said upwardly-traveling wad guide sleeve approaches the bottom of the tube 73 its frictional engagement with said C- ring functions to impede the upward travel of said sleeve, thus causing the shot shell to move upwardly into the wad guide as the latter is simultaneously elevated to a position wherein the shot tube 73 projects downwardly therein. As the platen approaches the top of its stroke said tube 73 forces the wad (not shown) out of the guide 56 and into the shell, on top of the powder which was previously deposited therein as described.

As is shown in FIG. 3, a cylindrical housing 37 is formed on the underside of the platen carriage in alignment below the shot drop tube 73 and mounted therein is a disc 50 which normally lies flush with the surface of said platen carriage, and which disc is seated on a coil spring 45. The shell holder 44 is slidably mounted in the platen and as the lower end of said tube 73 engages the wad and forces the same downwardly into the shell said shell holder and shell can yield somewhat in a downward direction against the tension of the spring 45 so that the wad will not be crushed, and so that the powder beneath said wad will not be compacted more than is desirable. In addition to said means for promoting uniform compression of the wad and powder, as described, the shot drop tube 73 is preferably adjustably threaded into the upper frame 62 and may be adjusted lengthwise to ensure that the wad is inserted exactly the proper depth in the shell casing.

Simultaneously with the insertion of the wad within the shell an upright stud 47 on the platen engages a vertical push rod 71 which moves upwardly therewith and tips the pivotal lever 84 to swing the horizontal charge bar to the opposite position, thus causing the shot opening in said charge bar to register, with the opening in the shot container 82 and allowing a predetermined quantity of shot to fall downwardly through the tube 73 and into the shot shell, said shot being positioned on top of the wad.

The platen then begins its downward travel, a hook arm 89 on the sleeve 52 engaging the underside of the platen carriage 39 and pulling said sleeve downwardly therewith, and at the commencement of the next upstroke the aforementioned cam unit 91-96 again engages within the cam surface 98 and causes said platen to rotate to the next station. As the platen carriage begins its upward stroke the leg 53 on the rotatable wad guide sleeve 52 is disengaged by the platen stud 46 and said wad guide unit is pivoted by the spring 51 to an out-of-the-way position, where the operator may readily install a new wad therein.

As the shell case continues upwardly with the platen it is rotated to a position beneath and in alignment with a cylindrical crimping element 74 depending from the upper support 62. Said crimping element is provided with a conical undersurface designed to engage the upper end of the shell as the platen reaches the top of its stroke and functions to begin the crimping of said reloaded shot shell. The platen then moves downwardly again and is rotated to a position beneath a second crimping element 77 which is designed to complete the closing of the upper end of said shot shell and to also loosen said shell and shove it downwardly slightly in the holder 44, said crimping element being spring-loaded to yield somewhat during the platen upstroke. The design and function of said crimping elements 74, 77 is well known in the art and will not be described in detail herein. Moreover, it is to be understood that the design of said crimping elements is dependent upon whether plastic or paper shot shells are being used.

Upon the completion of the crimping and closing of the reloaded shot shell by the member 77 the platen and shell holder again move downwardly and as the platen reaches the bottom of its stroke and begins its upward travel it is rotated by the cam unit 91-96 to a position wherein the shell is located beneath a cylindrical ram unit 81 depending from the upper frame 62. Said ram unit comprises a spring-loaded, open-bottom cup vertically movably mounted on a rigid stud 78 which projects downwardly therein, and as the loaded shell moves upwardly into engagement with said unit the cup yields somewhat in an upward direction due to the spring 79, while retaining the mouth of the shell and preventing it from expanding. As the platen approaches the top of its stroke the upper end of the shell engages against the rigid stud 78, and continued upward movement of the platen causes said shot shell to be urged downwardly out of the holder 44 so that it projects a short distance below the bottom of the platen, thus allowing the operator to manually grasp and remove said reloaded shot shell from the lower end of said holder.

As said member 81 is urging the shot shell out of the holder 44 during the platen upstroke, as described, a plate 49 secured or formed on and projecting radially outwardly a shortdistance beyond the platen simultaneously engages against the underside of the vertically-movable wad guide sleeve member 52 during the upward travel of said platen and forces said sleeve upwardly therewith. When the top of said sleeve reaches a partially elevated position it engages a stop ring 70 rigid on the shaft 36 on which said sleeve rides and functions to push said ring and shaft upwardly against the tension of a spring 40 (FIG. 3) surrounding the shaft lower end, said spring being compressed between a disc 36' carried on the lower end of said upwardly-moving shaft and the underside of the frame element 26. The upper end portion of said shaft 36 is of reduced diameter, as at 58, and is designed to abut against the bottom of a larger-diameter stud 60 vertically-movably carried in and projecting downwardly from a housing 65 on the upper frame 62, said housing having a spring 55 therein. The aforementioned motor-supporting lever 12 is provided with a hooked upper end 12' which normally hookingly engages on said depending, spring-loaded stud 60, but as said shaft 36 moves upwardly it forces said stud upwardly against the tension of the spring 55 and when said stud is elevated above the hooked portion 12' of the lever said lever hook catches on the reduced upper portion 58 of said shaft 36. As the platen reaches the top of its stroke and said platen and the springloaded shaft 36 begin their downward travel said stud 60 abuts against the top surface of the book 12 and cannot assume its normal extended position, and when the downwardly-moving reduced shaft portion 58 moves below and out of engagement with said lever hook 12' said hook is freed and the weight of the motor on its lower end causes said lever 12 to pivot outwardly, thus causing the pinion 21 carried on said lever to move out of driving engagement with the gear 22. The result is that the machine is automatically halted and the operator may readily remove the loaded shell from the holder 44 and insert an empty shell therein.

When the upper end of the lever 12 is released and the weight of the motor causes said lever to pivot outwardly, as described, a hooked arm 41 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which is rigidly secured to and projects outwardly from the platen carriage is designed to engage said lever and to seat on a projecting shoulder 42 thereon to maintain the platen in a raised position wherein the shell can be readily removed and replaced therein. Once the lever hook 12 has been freed the spring-loaded stud 60 resumes its normal, fully-extended position, of course, and when the operator wishes to actuate the machine again he has merely to manually re-engage said lever hook on said stud 60, thus pivoting the lever to a position where the pinion 21 thereon again drivingly engages the gear 22. Other comparable or equivalent means could be utilized to control the operation of the present machine in lieu of said pivotal lever assembly, of course, and the invention is not to be limited in this respect.

As will be seen from the foregoing detailed description, the present invention provides a novel machine for use by shotgun shooters which permits the quick and easy loading of used shells and eliminates the tedious chore of manually reloading the same. With the present machine there is very little skill or physical effort required, and it has been found that a man can load approximately twice as many shells in a given time period as can be loaded manually. Moreover, the present machine is unlike prior automatic reloading machines in that there is no possibility of a jam caused by defective shell casing or load component necessitating the removal of a number of partially reloaded shells from the machine, as frequently occurs with conventional reloading machines. In addition, the present machine requires a substantially smaller, less powerful motor than those employed on conventional reloading machines and it is considerably less expensive both to manufacture and to operate.

It is to be understood that numerous changes or modifications might be made in the design of many of the structural components of the present reloading machine without departing from the intended scope of the invention, and the invention is by no means to be limited or confined to a machine identical in all respects to that illustrated and hereinabove described. It is contemplated, moreover, that the machine could be readily modified to permit the simultaneous reloading of two or more shotgun shells if desired. In short, the illustrated machine is intended merely as one preferred embodiment of the invention and it is intended to include herein not only the illustrated form thereof but also any and all modified forms of said invention as may come Within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A shotgun shell reloading machine, comprising: a base frame; an elongated vertical shaft projecting upwardly from said base frame; an upper frame rigid on the upper end of said shaft; a drive motor; a platen carriage vertically-movably mounted on said vertical shaft; a platen rotatably supported on said platen carriage; means operatively associated with said motor for continuously moving said platen carriage upwardly and downwardly on said vertical shaft; means for automatically turning said rotatable platen a predetermined distance at the commencement of each upward stroke of said carriage; a shell holder projecting upwardly from said platen, said shell holder having an open top and having a bottom opening through which an empty shotgun shell can be mounted in said holder; a ram on and projecting upwardly from said base frame adapted to engage and force a shell upwardly into said shell holder when said holder is aligned therewith on the downstroke of said platen; a deprimer punch depending from said upper frame adapted to eject a spent primer from a shell in said holder when the latter is aligned therewith on the upstroke of said platen; a new primer holder projecting upwardly from said base frame adapted to install a new primer in the base of a shell in said holder when the latter is aligned therewith on the downstroke of said platen; a powder container mounted on and above said upper frame and having a bottom opening; a shot container mounted on and above said upper frame and having a bottom opening; a horizontally-slidable charging bar carried by said upper frame, said charging bar having a pair of openings therein selectively registrable with said powder and shot container bottom openings; a powder drop tube depending from said upper frame and communicating with said charging bar; means associated with said charging bar and with said platen for automatically aligning an opening in said bar with the bottom opening in said powder container when said shell holder is positioned immediately beneath said powder drop tube to permit a predetermined quantity of powder to fall therethrough and into a shell in said holder; a shot drop tube depending from said upper frame and communicating with said charging bar; a wad guide vertically-movably associated with said platen and adapted to fit over the upper end of a shell in said shell holder when said holder is aligned with and positioned immediately beneath said shot drop tube, said tube being adapted to force a wad carried in said wad guide down wardly into said shell during the platen upstroke; means associated with said charging bar and with the platen for automatically aligning an opening in said charging bar with the bottom opening in said shot container when said shell holder is positioned immediately beneath said shot drop tube to permit a predetermined quantity of shot to fall therethrough and into a shell in said holder; a first crimping element depending from said upper support adapted to engage and partially crimp the upper end of a loaded shot shell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith on the platen upstroke; a second crimping element depending from said upper frame adapted to complete the crimping of a loaded shot shell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith on the platen upstroke; a ram depending from said upper frame adapted to urge a loaded shell partially out of said shell holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the platen upstroke; and means adapted to automatically halt the operation of said reloading machine when a loaded shell has been urged partially out of said shell holder to permit the removal and replacement of said shot shell in said holder.

2. A shotgun shell reloading machine, comprising: a rigid frame having a base portion and an upper portion; a vertical shaft supported by and between said frame base and upper portions; a platen rotatably and vertically movably carried on said vertical shaft; power drive means for continuously reciprocating said platen during the operation of said machine; a shell holder on and projecting upwardly from said movable platen; a new primer holder on said rigid frame adapted to install a new primer in the base of a shell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen, said new primer holder being pivotal to an out of the way position where it will not interfere with the turning movement of the platen during succeeding operations, and where it is accessible to permit the installation of a new primer therein; a powder container supported by said frame; a powder drop tube communicating with said powder container; means for depositing a predetermined quantity of powder from said container in a shell carried by said shell holder when said holder is aligned with said powder drop tube during the travel of said platen; a shot container supported by said frame; a shot drop tube communicat ing with said shot container; a wad guide supported by said frame, said wad guide being adapted to fit over the open end of a shell in said shell holder when said holder is aligned with and positioned immediately beneath said shot drop tube; means for forcing a wad carried in said wad guide into a shell in said holder and for depositing a predetermined quantity of shot from said shot container into said shell during the travel of said platen when said shell holder is aligned with said shot drop tube; crimping means supported by said frame adapted to engage and close the open end of the loaded shell in said shell holder when said holder is aligned therewith during the travel of said platen; releasing means for freeing a loaded shell from said shell holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen; and means for automatically turning said rotatable platen a predetermined distance after each complete upward and downward cycle thereof to successively align said shell holder with said new primer holder, powder container, wad guide, shot container, crimping means and releasing means.

3. The machine recited in claim 2 and having: a pivotal lever operatively associated with said power drive means and releasably positionable in an operative position; and means adapted to automatically release said lever to halt the operation of said power drive means when a loaded shell has been freed from said shell holder.

4. The machine recited in claim 2 wherein said crimping means includes: a first crimping element depending from said upper frame portion adapted to partially crimp the upper end of a loaded shotshell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith on the platen upstroke; and a second crimping element depending from said upper frame portion adapted to complete the crimping and closing of said shotshell when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith on the succeeding platen upstroke, and to simultaneously loosen and commence the freeing of said loaded shell from the holder.

5. A shotgun shell reloading machine, comprising: a rigid frame having a base portion and an upper portion; a vertical shaft supported by and between said frame base and upper portions; a platen rotatably and vertically movably carried on said vertical shaft; power drive means for continuously reciprocating said platen during the operation of said machine; a shell holder on and projecting upwardly from said movable platen; a new primer holder on said rigid frame adapted to install a new primer in the base of a shell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen; a transparent cylindrical powder container mounted on said upper frame portion and having a bottom opening; a powder drop tube communicating with said powder container; a transparent cylindrical shot container mounted on said upper frame portion and having a bottom opening; a shot drop tube communicating with said shot container; a slidable horizontal charging bar in said frame upper portion having openings selectively registrable with said powder and shot container bottom openings, and communicating with said powder shot and drop tubes; means for automatically shifting said charging bar to align a selected opening therein with the corresponding container opening when the shell holder is in alignment with and positioned immediately beneath one of said drop tubes; a wad guide supported by said frame, said wad guide being adapted to fit over the open end of a shell and said shell holder when said shell holder is aligned and positioned immediately beneath said shot drop tube; means for forcing a wad carried in said wad guide into a shell in said holder and for depositing a predetermined quantity of shot from said shot container into said shell during the travel of said platen when said shell holder is aligned with said shot drop tube; crimping means supported by said frame adapted to engage and close the open end of a loaded shell in said shell holder when said holder is aligned therewith during the travel of said platen; releasing means for freeing a loaded shell from said shell holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen; and means for automatically turning said rotatable platen a predetermined distance after each complete upward and downward cycle thereof to successively align said shell holder with said new primer holder, powder container, wad guide, shot container, crimping means and releasing means.

6. A shotgun shell reloading machine, comprising: a rigid frame having a base portion and an upper portion; a vertical shaft supported by and between said frame base and upper portions; a platen rotatably and vertically movably carried on said vertical shaft; power drive.

means for continuously reciprocating said platen during the operation of said machine; a shell holder on and projecting upwardly from said movable platen; a new primer holder on said rigid frame adapted to install a new primer in the base of a shell in said holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen; a powder container supported by said frame; a power drop tube communicating with said powder container; means for depositing a predetermined quantity of powder from said container in a shell carried by said shell holder when said holder is aligned with said powder drop tube during the travel of said platen; a shot container supported by said frame; a shot drop tube communicating with said shot container; a vertically movable upright wad guide shaft carried by and between said base and upper frame portions; a wad guide vertically movably and rotatably mounted on said wad guide shaft; means associated with said platen for rotating said Wad guide from an out of the way position to a position above and in alignment with the shell holder as the shell holder moves upwardly beneath said shot drop tube; means for forcing a wad carried in said wad guide into a shell in said holder and for depositing a predetermined quantity of shot from said shot container into said shell during the travel of said platen when said shell holder is aligned with said shot drop tube; crimping means supported by said frame adapted to engage and close the open end of a loaded shell in said shell holder when said holder is aligned therewith during the travel of said platen; releasing means for freeing a loaded shell from said shell holder when said shell is aligned and in engagement therewith during the travel of said platen; and means for automatically turning said rotatable platen a predetermined distance after each complete upward and downward cycle thereof to successively align said shell holder With said new primer holder, powder container, wad guide, shot container, crimping means and releasing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,325,642 8/1943 Turnock et al. 86-23 3,060,788 10/1962 Blesi et a1 86-27 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. P. A. SHANLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADING MACHINE, COMPRISING: A BASE FRAME; AN ELONGATED VERTICAL SHAFT PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE FRAME; AN UPPER FRAME RIGID ON THE UPPER END OF SAID SHAFT; A DRIVE MOTOR; A PLATEN CARRIAGE VERTICALLY-MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID VERTICAL SHAFT; A PLATEN ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID PLATEN CARRIAGE; MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MOTOR FOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SAID PLATEN CARRIAGE UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY ON SAID VERTICAL SHAFT; MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY TURNING SAID ROTATABLE PLATEN A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF EACH UPWARD STROKE OF SAID CARRIAGE; A SHELL HOLDER PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID PLATEN, SAID SHELL HOLDER HAVING AN OPEN TOP ANDHAVING A BOTTOM OPENING THROUGH WHICH AN EMPTY SHOTGUN SHELL CAN BE MOUNTED IN SAID HOLDER; A RAM ON AND PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE FRAME ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND FORCE A SHELL UPWARDLY INTO SAID SHELL HOLDER WHEN SAID HOLDER IS ALIGNED THEREWITH ON THE DOWNSTROKE OF SAID PLATEN; A DEPRIMER PUNCH DEPENDING FROM SAID UPPER FRAME ADAPTED TO EJECT A SPENT PRIMER FROM A SHELL IN SAID HOLDER WHEN THE LATTER IS ALIGNED THEREWITH ON THE UPSTROKE OF SAID PLATEN; A NEW PRIMER HOLDER PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE FRAME ADAPTED TO INSTALL A NEW PRIMER IN THE BASE OF A SHELL IN SAID HOLDER WHEN THE LATTER IS ALIGNED THEREWITH ON THE DOWNSTROKE OF SAID PLATEN; A POWDER CONTAINER MOUNTED ON AND ABOVE SAID UPPER FRAME AND HAVING A BOTTOM OPENING; A SHOT CONTAINER MOUNTED ON AND ABOVE SAID UPPER FRAME AND HAVING A BOTTOM OPENING; A HORIZONTALLY-SLIDABLE CHARGING BAR CARRIED BY SAID UPPER FRAME, SAID CHARGIN GBAR HAVING A PAIR OF OPENINGS THEREIN SELECTIVELY REGISTRABLE WITH SAID POWDER AND SHOT CONTAINER BOTTOM OPENINGS; A POWDER DROP TUBE DEPENDING FROM SAID UPPER FRAME AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHARGING BAR; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHARGING BAR AND WITH SAID PLATEN FOR AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNING AN OPENING IN SAID BAR WITH THE BOTTOM OPENING IN SAID POWDER CONTAINER WHEN SAID SHELL HOLDER IS POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY BENEATH SAID POWDER DROP TUBE TO PERMIT A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF POWDER TO FALL THERETHROUGH AND INTO A SHELL IN SAID HOLDER; A SHOT DROP TUBE DEPENDING FROM SAID UPPER FRAME AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CHARGING BAR; A WAD GUIDE VERTICALLY-MOVABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID PLATEN AND ADPATED TO FIT OVER THE UPPER END OF A SHELL IN SAID SHELL HOLDER WHEN SAID HOLDER IS ALIGNED WITH AND POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY BENEATH SAID SHOT DROP TUBE, SAID TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO FORCE A WARD CARRIED IN SAID WAD GUIDE DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID SHELL DURING THE PLATEN UPSTROKE; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CHARGING BAR AND WITH THE PLATEN FOR AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNING AN OPENING IN SAID CHARGING BAR WITH THE BOTTOM OPENING IN SAID SHOT CONTAINER WHEN SAID SHELL HOLDER IS POSITIONED IMMEDIATELY BENEATH SAID SHOT DROP 